CHICAGO, Ill. - There will be a first for Illinois Institute of Technology Athletics on Friday. For the first time in school history, men's volleyball will compete in intercollegiate athletics as an official varsity sport.
"We are all excited to get this season started and make history at Illinois Tech," said Head Coach Katie Zulandt, who also serves as the Head Coach of Tech's women's team. "The team is fully aware of what an incredible opportunity this is, and I believe they will take full advantage of every opportunity they get to step out on the court and compete. They are ready to get out there and set some records"
With a brand-new program comes a lack of college playing experience, which in of itself presents challenges. However, Zulandt sees potential in the team's athleticism and work ethic.
"We have a lot of great athletes on our team," she explained. "In practice, we are trying to break bad habits and teach our players how to see the game. Experience is lacking, but what we are not lacking is the enthusiasm and desire to learn. As a coach, it is an amazing atmosphere to step into every day."
The desire to learn is something Zulandt wants the team to hang onto as its foundation.
"We are working on developing a culture that embraces hard work, relentlessness and competition," Zulandt said. "We definitely will not be the biggest or most skilled team out there this season, but I want us to be the toughest competitors."
Embracing the competitive spirit will be important for the young Scarlet Hawks, as the student-athletes themselves are all competing for playing time in the program's first year.
"Right now, everyone is battling for a starting position" Zulandt explained. "I predict there being some fluidity in our lineup for some time. Every person on our roster has the ability to contribute in a big way."
Seniors Michael Drews and Alex Babusci will serve as team captains in its inaugural season; two players who Zulandt said have "stepped up as leaders in a big way." With an atmosphere of hard work in place, Illinois Tech men's volleyball is already seeing daily improvements.
"We have made humongous strides since day one, but we still have a long way to go," said Zulandt. "Like I said, the willingness to work and learn is there, but the match experience is not. Teaching technique and systems is one thing. It is another thing teaching them how to deal with the pressures of a match, which is one thing that will have come with time.
Tech hopes to take the mindset of daily improvement and carry it on throughout the 2016 season.
"Win or loss, our main goal is to learn and improve each match." said Zulandt. "We are going to be playing some great, established Division III programs this season. Our schedule will be challenging, but will inevitably give us the opportunity to learn and improve all season long."
Illinois Tech will play its first two matches as a program on Friday, traveling to Lakeland College in Wisconsin to oppose both Lakeland (4:00 p.m.) and Loras (6:00 p.m.). Live stats and video will be available for both matches.
The Scarlet Hawks open the home schedule on Friday, February 19 against Fontbonne. Live video and stats of all five Tech home games will be available on www.illinoistechathletics.com.